Path-breaking initiative does the trick for Eastern Peripheral E-way

Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) could be completed in record 500 days  (instead of 910 days target) as the engineers of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) introduced seven Germany-made special large size automatic pavers (16 meter in length) to construct a quality six-lane cement concrete road in one go.

Out of the eight such pavers available in the country, seven were deployed to complete EPE before the deadline. Further, building a rail overbridge that was the main bottleneck in completing the ambitious project was built in just 100 days. Interestingly, the Indian Railways would have taken around 2.5 years to construct such a bridge.

Also, 20,000 trucks were used every day to carry out high volume of earthwork in record time besides 44,000 cement bags and 200 tonne steel was used in a day to complete the project. The project had also generated 50 lakh manpower.

NHAI Chief General Manager BS Singla said that due to the use of closed social media networks like WhatsApp in getting official approval, there is hardly any delay in project execution. “In addition to it, I also visited construction sites twice in a week and

on-spot approval was granted,” he said.

Singla added that even in case the approval was needed from higher authorities he gave the go-ahead immediately while paperwork was completed later on. “Clearance was granted even if the power to approve was beyond my authority. File was then sent to the higher authorities for their approval,” he said.

“One of the major boost for the civil contractors involved in the project was fast clearance of their payments. Bills were cleared within 24 hours after being generated,” Singla added. He also said that due to additional machinery and

manpower, the NHAI got output worth 36 hours in 24 hours of work only.

Initially the project target was set to be completed within 910 days but due to the measures taken by the officials, it was completed in record 400 days well before the deadline.

A senior NHAI official said that a large quantity of flyash was also ferried from the nearest thermal plants of Dabri, Badarpur, Pali and Panipat and was used in construction process. “With the decision, pollution issues were also resolved to a larger extent,” he said.

He further said that a total of 11 lakh tonne cement and one lakh tonne steel was used in this project.

The ambitious project will divert an estimated 52,000 trucks passing through the national Capital daily to this bypass, helping in curtailing the level of air pollution in Delhi. EPE will provide connectivity among Sonipat, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater Noida), Faridabad and Palwal without the need to pass through Delhi, thus helping decongest the national Capital.

The expressway is the first of its kind in the country with solar power installation to light the entire stretch of expressway, including 221 vehicular and pedestrian underpasses.

The project faced numerous land acquisition hurdles, however, with the efforts of the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry and NHAI officials, the issues were sorted out in very short time,” a senior NHAI official said.

The official also said EPE has set a benchmark in the highway construction in terms of world-class highways with safety features and smart and interactive infrastructure in a world where distance is no longer measured in kilometer but in terms of time.

EPE will be opened for public by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 29.